


We All Have Our Pasts

by halfhuman2214



Category: Flashpoint
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Secrets, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-13 22:10:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3398081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfhuman2214/pseuds/halfhuman2214
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A call hits very close to home for Spike and he ends up revealing some things about himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We All Have Our Pasts

The team was doing their morning work out, listening to the rock station. As was usual in the first hour of the shift. They were all hoping for a pretty normal, slow day. They had had some pretty wild shifts the last few daws, not filled with actual calls, but with prank calls. They had also been pulling longer shifts to make up for the absence of Team 4, who were away for a week speaking at a conference in Quebec. They were in the showers getting ready for patrol when the call came in.

“Team 1. Hot Call. Person with a gun in Harrington Park.”

Groaning Ed called out while shutting off the water, “Team 1, roll out in 10 minutes.”

There was a chorus of groans, but everyone shut off their showers and began getting dressed. Pulling pants up their damp legs and grabbing their gear. They were all in the trucks and out the garage in seven minutes.

“Okay guys, Harrington Park is a wide open area. Not usually packed with people at this time of day. Generally stay at home moms with young kids, people on their lunch break and tourists. We don’t know what kind of situation we are going into. They could have a hostage, or done something else. We won’t know until we get there.” Greg says over the head sets.

“We are going to be less lethal until we can contain the scene. I will give the order if and when we switch to lethal.” Ed says pulling into the park.

When they arrive at the scene the uniforms have pushed people back, but it doesn’t seem to matter because the gun isn’t pointed at the crowd. “What do you got?” Greg asks as his team sets up behind him.

“Adolescent female, not sure on the age. Witnesses say she didn’t make demands, didn’t want attention. They didn’t notice her until someone yelled out gun. She held it to her temple, threatens to pull the trigger anytime we get close. Says she wants to just be left alone.” The head uniform says. 

“Suicide risk?” Ed asks over the com.

“Did they get a name?” Spike asks from the truck.

“Is she a risk to herself. Did she give you a name?” Greg asks.

“Park filled with people and she didn’t take a hostage. Choosing to use herself instead. I’d say that’s pretty likely. Someone found her wallet. Marnie Wallace according to her school id.” He hands the wallet over to Greg.

“Alright. Marnie Wallace, 16 years old. Lost her father to a fire when she was 6. Mother taking all sorts of drugs. Crack, Meth, Painkillers. She’s been in and out of rehab and jail since Marnie was 9. The girls been bounced from home to for that same amount of time. School record shows straight A’s, advanced classes…” Spike goes quiet for a moment. “Boss let me take this one.”

“Spike. Why do you want this one?” Greg asks.

“I understand her. I can work an angle that you can’t.” Spike says 

“I don’t like it.” Ed says. “Spike your negotiation skills aren’t the best.”

“Boss, I was her.” Spike says.

Greg hesitates. “Alright Spike. This ones yours. Jules you’re in the truck.” Spike gets out of the truck. Greg pulls him to the side before he can step up. “Is this about those sealed files that you came along with?”

“I promised you those weren’t crime related. And I was telling the truth.” Spike says looking Greg in the eye.

Greg nods letting Spike pass. Spike sets up behind Wordy as they move closer. She shifts, tensing. “No. I’ll do it. Don’t move.”

Spike starts negotiation. “Okay. Okay. We won’t come any closer. My name is Michaelangelo Scarlatti. My friends and teammates call me Spike. We aren’t here to hurt you. I just want to talk. You and me, we’re just going to talk. Why don’t you tell what’s going on here. What is it that you want to accomplish by doing this?”

She lifts her free hand to her mouth and sobs into her fist. Her frail frame shaking like a leaf. “I just want to be alone. I want it all to stop.”

“What do you want to stop?” Spike asks.

“You wouldn’t understand. Nobody understands.” She tightens her grip on the gun. 

Spike steps out from behind Wordy. “Spike.” Ed warns over the com.

“She isn’t going to shoot me.” Spike says into the com. “Marnie. I’m going to step a little closer so that you and me can hear each other better.” He takes a slow step forward. Then a few more. “Marnie, I understand. I understand better than anyone.”

“How do know my pain?” She yells.

“You’ve been through what? 14… 15 homes since you were 9?” Spike asks. Marnie nods. “I went through 12 after I was removed from my house for good. 8 before that for welfare checks.”

Ed looks over to Greg shocked. “Is he lying to her?” 

Greg shrugs. “Most of Spikes life is sealed away in files. He promised it wasn’t anything that was illegal. That was good enough for me.” He says off com.

“Junkies for parents?” She asks.

Spike shakes his head. “No. My sister and mom were killed in an accident when I was 7. We were going through an intersection in the family car. We were hit by a drunk driver. My dad and me walked away, my mum and sister didn’t make it out of the car.” 

“My mum started using again after my dad died. She was always high, said she didn’t have to feel the pain. What did… What did your dad use?” She asks sniffling.

“My dads vice was booze and his fists.” Spike says. “He started with the drywall. Ended with my bones.”

“You were in 20 homes? What were they like?” She asks letting her grip loosen a bit.

“I was, good math.” Spike says. “The first eight were just weekend trips. Welfare checks, the houses are nice. So are the people. The other 12, hit or a miss. Sometimes I had an okay home. Those ones were harder to stay in, the parents actually cared. Tried to help me talk again. Eventually they get overwhelmed and you have to move on. Most of the time the homes are bad. The people are worse.”

She sobbed again her arm shaking. “How was.” She sobbed again. “How was school?”

“If I got to stay in the same school, people pushed me around. I was the quiet skinny kid who was in the advanced classes and had no friends.”

“They laugh at me in the halls. Call me names. Freak. Technocreep. The list goes on.” She says still shaking but not as volatile with the gun.

“They don’t stray from the classics.” Spike mutters before speaking up. “So what are you planning to do here in the park today?”

“I just want to be left alone.” Marnie says. “I just want it all to stop.” She sounds defeated. “I’m so tired.”

“I know Marnie. I know. But doing this. It’s a very permanent solution, to something that seems never ending. But I promise you it will end. It will get better.” Spike says stepping closer. 

“I just can’t take it anymore.” Marnie says.

“You can stop me when I get something wrong.” Spike says stepping closer. “You’re tired. So tired. So you planned it out. Said your goodbyes to the few people who matter. Had what you wanted to be your last meal. The first full meal you’ve had in a while.” Spike pauses. “Marnie, mine was pizza. I hadn’t had pizza months. What was yours?”

“I had a hamburger and fries.” Marnie say.

“Greg. What is going on here?” Ed asks covering his com.

“We have to let him talk her down. We’ll get our answers later. Spikes files are sealed, I’m sure there is a reasons for that.” Greg says covering his com as well.

“How were you…?” She trails off lowering the gun slightly.

He brings his arms up from the slightly raised position and moves them as if to draw attention to them.

“What happened?” She asks.

“The woman of the family I was living with found me. Got me to the hospital in time.” Spike steps even closer, now within arms reach. “Marnie, if you let go of the gun. You’ll have a 72 hour suicide watch, then you can move on. If you don’t, then there are two outcomes. One, my team takes you down, you have a 72 hour stay at the hospital then a nice long stay in a facility. Afterwards you move on. Or you succeed. And I know right now that’s what you want. But then they win. Everyone who ever thought you wouldn’t make it. Everyone who doubted you wins.” Spike says. “So put the gun down. I promise you it gets better. It all gets better. But you need to put the gun down.”

“I just want it to stop.” Marnie says letting her arm go limp. The gun dropping to the ground. “I want it to stop.” Her knees give out as exhaustion takes over her body. 

Spike catches her before she can fall. “It will. I swear it will.” Spike says as she sobs into his vest.

Jules and Sam move in to clear the gun while Spike continues to comfort the small girl. 

Later after the team has debriefed, Spike is sitting in his street clothes on a bench in the locker room looking at his wrist.

Ed and Greg sit down on either side of Spike. “You threw us a curveball out there today Spike.” Greg says. “You weren’t kidding when you said they weren’t crime related.”

“My dad wasn’t a bad person, he was just hit with grief after my mum and sister died. I watched him load a 30 gauge with a solid slug and paint the wall with his brain. I was nine.” Spike says.

“Spike, we had no idea.” Ed says rubbing his his back.

“The woman who found you? The Scarlatti's?” Greg asks.

Spike nods. “Yeah. The adoption papers were finalized when I was 17.”

“The files?” Ed asks.

“Were sealed after the adoption. I wasn’t going to have any family coming after me. They didn’t want my past to affect my future. Especially since it’s just that, the past. A good home, a family, people who understood that I was going to be hesitant. I haven’t gone to it. I don’t plan to either.” Spike says rolling his sleeves back down.

“You did good out there today.” Greg says. “I’m proud of you.”


End file.
